IMF chief Christine Lagarde met Pakistani PM Imran Khan and assured him that IMF stands ready to support his country. The meeting took place on the sidelines of World Government Summit in Dubai, hosted by United Arab Emirates, both IMF and prime minister Imran Khan's office said. "I reiterated that IMF stands ready to support Pakistan," Lagarde said in a statement following meeting Khan.

India-born Harvard University professor Gita Gopinath has joined International Monetary Fund as its first woman Chief Economist. The 47-year-old, succeeds Maurice Obstfeld, who retired on December 31. Gopinath received her PhD in Economics from Princeton University in 2001 after earning a BA from Lady Shri Ram College, and MA degrees from Delhi School of Economics and University of Washington.